


Beside You

by Grimmy88



Category: Left 4 Dead 2
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-26
Updated: 2013-11-26
Packaged: 2018-01-02 17:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1059349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimmy88/pseuds/Grimmy88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick is injured.</p><p> </p><p>Ellis POV</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beside You

            When we were standin’ side by side I could feel yer dyin’ pulse, didjya know that? It felt like with every beat a little more of yer life was gettin’ away.  And at the same time, fer some reason, I felt like everything up until that point, apocalypse an’ afore, was so small that none of it even mattered.

            Afore standin’ there I never realized how heavy you were. I guess I shoulda figured ‘cause-a how big yer shoulders are an’ stuff but yer suit didn’t look like it fit so I figured you were smaller’n that. …Anyway, standin’ there with yer blood on me an’ with you holdin’ on an’ everythin’ felt like some kinda moment that had been waitin’ fer twenty-three years.

            I guess somethin’ like that was supposed-ta feel weird or unnatural especially in a situation an’ world like this. But way I figure it had already been stretching out in front-a us, kinda like some sorta over-grown path that we ignored so we could stick to the ones that were clear an’ obvious. Now with everythin’ so messy I guess we didn’t have much’uv-a choice but-ta try’n clear it.

            A’course Rochelle an’ Coach don’t hafta walk the same way. They’d stayed with us ‘til now ‘cause they were confused, ‘cause to them only survival mattered. They only wanted the world-ta return-ta normal at the hands an’ guns-a the army we were runnin’ towards.

            They never stopped-ta wonder why they’d been able-ta survive; they just accepted it. They never stopped-ta wonder why we’d all been grouped together; they just gawked at the luck’uv it. They never stopped-ta wonder how it had changed them; they just kept moving.

            Now I ain’t stupid or naïve or anything like-ya used-ta think. An’ maybe I am religious but I ain’t some sort-a Bible thumper or anythin’. But still with you clutchin’ at me as we got down from that helicopter, I kinda felt like I’d survived for that moment, that I’d metchya guys ‘cause ya’ll needed my help, and I’d changed so that I could stand there with ya.

            I’d changed ‘cause I didn’t wanna stand anywhere else.     

 

            When they asked I really didn’t wanna letchya go. Now don’t go sayin’ I’m gay or nnothin’ ‘cause last time we pulled apart so that we could change into the scrubs you remember what happened? You forgot all about bleedin’ an’ stuff juss so ya could get in clean clothes. Never heard you yell so loud, save fer when that Hunter first started clawin’ya. Downright lucky ya didn’t pull yer ribs out, too.

            Well, by that point those scrubs we were wearin’ weren’t as grimy as our clothes afore but yer scrubs already had a huge red stain which made me wonder when the hell they figured they’d start fixin’ya. An’ I know you were tryin’ta pretend it didn’t hurt ‘cause you walked against me without tryin’ ta limp… you still did, juss so ya know. An’ ya held outchyer arm so the doctor’s could take some blood even when I hadta turn my head away… thanks fer not rippin’ on me fer it.

            I don’t think the front you were puttin’ up was convincin’ anybody you weren’t in any pain. I juss think the doctor’s didn’t care-ta bother with us until they knew we were worth it. An’ outta everybody I figured you woulda said somethin’ right away about gettin’ checked… an’ I don’t know why ya didn’t. Didjya think you were gonna die? I know you’d taken too many hits, a nice cut to yer side by that Hunter on account-a that tongue-pull already hadjya outta breath. But I’ve seen ya take-a brick wall-ta the face an’ chest, thanks-ta a Tank, an’ still keep up runnin’ fer a mile.

            That in itself was enough fer me-ta keep ya alive and kickin’. Fightin’ all that way an’ you juss wanna lay down an’ rest ‘cause yer a little sleepy an’ the doc’s keepin’ ya waitin’? We’d stayed awake through worse an’ you know it.

            An’ we’d been juss fine through all that, afore we tried so hard-ta get to that helicopter an’ let our guards down. Sometimes I wonder if we wouldn’ta been better off staying away and taking care-uv ourselves. An’ I know that’s stupid, I don’t needjya tellin’ me. I can’t help but think it, you know? An’ the first time we thought it I wondered now that we were there what were they gonna make us do or say-ta us, or about us?

            A doctor came in eventually, I don’t know if you remember, you looked like you’d been dozin’ or somethin’. I was a little worried it was on account-a yer wounds so I had half a mind to tell him juss how good those suits worked.

            But when he told us we were all immune I let the words go. ‘Cause that meant we’d be cleaned an’ welcomed an’ they’d stop makin’ya bleed out juss so they could decide whether or not their supplies were worth wastin’ on us.

            They pushed a stretcher in an’ I think that’s when ya really woke up ‘cause you juss about jumped on there like the floor was burnin’ yer feet. An’ judgin’ from the pull of yer scrubs and body from mine I knew they needed to getchya fixed up fast.

            When we were movin’ towards the door one of the guards stopped us.

            An’ I knew what he wanted an’ I’m sorry that I held up the stretcher, but you weren’t goin’ without me.

            Rochelle said somethin’ about how they were juss gonna stitch you up. An’ I’m sure they were but it ain’t my fault if all yer talk about them killin’ innocent people and the actual evidence we’d seen’uv it got me a little antsy.

            “Hey, we might get lucky. They could put a bullet in me yet,” you whispered through a smile I knew was fake. I know it was supposed-ta be a joke, that you said it to get me to relax and let you go but I just held onto yer arm all the tighter. ‘Cause all I felt was a solid shake through my spine and a hard kick to my worry.

            We stood there fer a while. They were tryin’ta tell me somethin’ about the operation room bein’ sterile but I couldn’t see how it would be if you went in there as ya were, ‘cause I don’t see how they had much time-ta getchya clean. An’ all that in itself made me hang on-ta ya harder, so I’ll say it right now… sorry for them bruises on yer wrist.

            Seein’ as how they weren’t gonna get outta them suits anyway the doctors finally juss gave in an’ let me go with ya. An’ that’s probably the last bit that you remember, I bet. ‘Cause as soon as we gotta that room, which wasn’t really sterile at all seeing as how it looked juss like the last room.

            Well, except that this room had other stretchers and some trays an’ stuff with medical tools an’ stuff on ‘em. A new doctor, a woman this time, tried-ta get me-ta go with her behind one of the curtains they’d raised. I waited until they actually started workin’ on ya first, don’t worry.

            You ain’t gonna like what happened behind that curtain, lemme tell ya. I’m as hairless as a newborn baby now, head-ta foot. Well, I didn’t feel anybody shavin’ my eyebrows though, but I ain’t seen myself in a mirror yet.

            Don’t be laughin’ at me, ‘cause as soon as they cleaned ya an’ fixed ya up… don’t ask me how ‘cause I wasn’t one-ta be lookin’ as they stuck those metal tools inside-a ya an’ pulled yer skin back together with them stitches they did the same-ta ya.

            I really don’t think there’re any mirrors in this place, though, so I dunno if ya believe me. Ya look differet now, a lot different. But I guess I do too. …Hey, I’m sure they even had-ta do it to the girls! I bet Rochelle’s damn _pissed_. Can-ya imagine her without any-a her hair?

            …Now that I think about it I bet that was really uncomfortable fer her considerin’ they had to shave just about everythin’. After they fixed ya up I watched ‘em buzz yer head an’ I’m real sorry but I wasn’t gonna leave the room on account-a they had-ta shave yer chest an’… everywhere else.

            I’m awful sorry fer lookin’, really. I guess I could tell ya some excuse like I wanted-ta make sure they weren’t gonna poke ya with a needle full-a some poison or something but I already let them put ya-ta sleep an’ everythin’.

            They must’uv given you a lotta that stuff, though, ‘cause you’ve been sleepin’ fer a while. Don’t get how ya could, it’s cold as hell in here an’ you only got a sheet over ya. I guess ya could have the blanket they gave me, considerin’ I could get up an’ walk around-ta warm myself up an’ yer stuck on that table.

            Until you wake up.

            …Youkin juss hang onto it until then, Nick.

 

            When ya finally woke up I was there withchyou. I made the mistake-a tryin’ to talk-ta ya too fast too ‘cause ya glared at me like I was the one who put all them tubes in ya.

            But I guess even after only a couple-a days I’m getting’ used-ta ya ‘cause I shut right up an’ the skin around yer eyes relaxed and the shadows over all that green clared away. I didn’t talk again until ya tried-ta sit up and that’s on account of how hurtchya looked.

            


End file.
